Until the beginning of the twentieth century, communities and wildlife in Africa coexisted in a fairly harmonious manner. Although people used wildlife to sustain themselves, species were not seriously threatened. The human population was small, and land remained abundant.

The Nyamuragira volcano, located 20 kilometers north of the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is erupting. This eruption occurs only months after tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the region when an adjacent volcano destroyed much of Goma.

Local vulcanologist Dieudonne Wafula said ash and debris were being thrown hundreds of feet in to the air above the crater. The BBC reports that lava was flowing down both sides of the 3,000 metre high Mount Nyamuragira.

On July 16th the Acting USAID Mission Director, Mr. Roudolf Thomas, launched the Conservation of Afro-montane Forest and Mountain Gorillas in a Landscape Context project. The ceremony took place at the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) office in Kabale. It was attended by representatives from the local government, Uganda Wildlife Authority, community representatives, NGOs as well as staff from AWF and IGCP.

USAID has provided US$ 1.9 million for the three year project which will focus on the following objectives:

Forty years ago, Tarangire was a game area in Tanzania used by hunters. In 1969, AWF played a crucial role in establishing the new Tarangire National Park by supporting construction of the headquarters building and the rangers' antipoaching lookout stations.

Today, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Parks are the core conservation areas of the large and varied landscape that is AWF's Maasai-Steppe Heartland.